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“The most important thing is to go out there, play well and get ourselves a championship,” explains Shannon Johnson.

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Detroit Shock coaches and players know the value of depth

Backed by the Bench

By Lauren Brill, WNBA.com

The Detroit Shock's Katie Smith
already has a championship on her resume and is hunting for a second. The All-Decade
Team player is a member of one of the strongest starting lineups in the league.
While a stellar starting five is a necessary component for a triumphant team,
as Detroit embarks on another postseason run, Katie Smith emphasizes the value
of the Shock's deep bench.

"This league is too deep to have just a couple players," Smith explains.
"We have players that come in and can put points on the board, understand
the game and veterans who have been there and done that."

Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson
is a veteran who, since joining Detroit as a free agent in the offseason, has
played almost exclusively as a reserve. But prior to this season, she had little
experience in a non-starting role.

"I have never played coming off the bench," says Johnson. "I have to adjust
to coming out and being able to play once I get on the court and not having
the time to get into the game."

She may still be adjusting to her current role, but from a starter's perspective,
Pee Wee's 5.6 points and
1.7 assists per game are already a major asset to the team.

"She is doing a great job, coming in with attitude that she will do whatever
is takes to win," Smith observes. "It is great to have someone with that experience
and someone who is so hungry to win a championship."

The depth and strength of the Shock became glaringly obvious when Cheryl
Ford suffered a season-ending knee injury. A starter and an All-Star, many
predicted a change in Detroit's level of play. But when the team continued its
winning ways, analysts were mystified.

"Our team has a lot of competitors. We love to play and we love to win," Smith
reasons. "We have a lot of players with talent and we as individuals all picked
it up a notch to help fill the void that Cheryl left."

It was the talent of the entire team that allowed Detroit to adjust and adapt
to the loss.

"On any other team many of our reserves would be starters," assistant coach
Rick Mahorn explains.

Plenette Pierson is a candidate
for the Sixth Woman of the Year award. She has played in Detroit since 2005
and has yet to start a game in a Shock uniform. But that
has not stopped Pierson from being a major offensive threat, as she is currently
averaging 11.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg.

"(The depth) really helps," Pierson explains, "because you have great players
you can call on."

A reserve or a starter, all the players are conditioned to be mentally tough
as they endure the critiques of the notoriously harsh head coach Bill Laimbeer.

"Our team is very strong mentally, which has a lot to do with our success,"
Mahorn states.

Laimbeer's demands and
high expectations go beyond the starting five.

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While Laimbeer does come down hard on his players, Smith realizes he has assembled
a roster of players who can work within his system and handle his unconventional
coaching methods.

"He has brought the players here that he wants and that can work in his system,"
Smith comments. "He brought me here and there is a reason why. It is people
that have a little bit of that edginess and that competitiveness and are going
to go out there and work and fight. ... He knows what we can bring and he demands
it of us, but we also demand it from ourselves."

As Detroit enters the postseason, Laimbeer's demands and high expectations
continue beyond the starting five.

Crucial for a team that is contending for a title, the physical and mental
strength of the bench -- in addition to the starters -- keeps opponents on their
toes.

"Obviously (at this point in the season) our bodies have been put through a
lot and some of us aren't as young as we used to be. So we are just going to
need people to step up at different times," Smith explains.

"We have a lot of people that will make plays in spurts and it is fun
because you keep it coming," Smith adds. "You keep attacking and you
don't know who is going to bring it that day."

With a strong set of starters accompanying Smith and depth on the bench, playoff
opponents beware: Detroit's many weapons allow them to fire from all angles.

But the Shock's eyes remain on the prize.

"The most important thing," says Johnson, "is to go out there, play
well and get ourselves a championship."